Mohammed Zubair calls out Amit Malviya for sharing fake claim on Rahul Gandhi selfie
Lucknow, July 15 – A photograph of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi taken inside a Lucknow courtroom has sparked a wave of misinformation, after BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya and others falsely claimed that the man taking a selfie with Gandhi was the judge hearing his case. The man in the image has now been identified as Advocate Syed Mahmood Hasan, not a member of the judiciary.
The image was taken on Tuesday at the Special MP-MLA Court in Lucknow, where Rahul Gandhi appeared in connection with a 2018 defamation case filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra. The case relates to remarks Gandhi allegedly made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah. During the hearing, Special Judge H.R. Yadav granted him bail.
After the proceedings, several people including lawyers took photos with Gandhi inside the court premises. One of those images, featuring Advocate Syed Mahmood Hasan taking a selfie, was shared by multiple social media users — including BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya — who falsely claimed the man was the judge presiding over the case.
The misleading narrative raised serious concerns about judicial impartiality, and was widely amplified by IT cell accounts and influencers. However, the claim was swiftly debunked by fact-checkers and media outlets.
Fact-checker Mohammed Zubair of Alt News took to X (formerly Twitter) to counter the misinformation. Sharing screenshots of Malviya’s tweet, Zubair wrote:
"BJP IT cell head @amitmalviya deleted this tweet after it was pointed out that he was an advocate Syed Mahmood Hasan and not a Judge. Other IT cell members are yet to delete."
BJP IT cell head @amitmalviya deleted this tweet after it was pointed out that he was an advocate Syed Mahmood Hasan and not a Judge. Other IT cell members are yet to delete. pic.twitter.com/YLi8g76c0b
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) July 15, 2025
Advocate Syed Mahmood Hasan, a resident of Barabanki and practicing lawyer at the Lucknow District Court since 2006, also clarified his identity. “I had gone to meet Rahul Gandhi. I am not a judge, I am just a lawyer,” he told local media. “I admire him and simply took a selfie, like many others present.”
Legal experts and civil society members have criticised the deliberate spread of such false claims, pointing out the damage it causes to public trust in judicial institutions. The court's bail order, passed by Judge H.R. Yadav, had no connection to the viral photograph or the advocate involved.
Despite the clarification and Malviya deleting his tweet, many others from BJP's digital ecosystem continue to circulate the misleading post without correction.
Critics say this incident is part of a larger pattern of political disinformation and underlines the need for stronger moderation and accountability on social media platforms.
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Deepika Kumari leads Indian recurve archery team to dramatic World Cup gold
Shanghai (PTI): The Indian trio of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and teenager Kumkum Mohod held their nerve in a tense shoot-off to beat home favourites China and clinch the women's recurve team gold medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 here on Sunday.
In a final marked by fluctuating fortunes, India edged past the home side 5-4 (28-26) in the shoot-off after the four-set regulation ended 4-4.
The victory was especially sweeter as India had earlier stunned record 10-time Olympic champions South Korea in the semifinals en route to their first World Cup women's team gold since 2021.
Deepika, who was also part of India's World Cup-winning teams in Guatemala City and Paris in 2021, now has seven World Cup team gold medals to her name since 2010.
It was also the Indian women recurve team's first World Cup medal in three years, its previous podium finish coming in Stage 4 in Paris in 2023 where Ankita was a member of the winning team.
India's campaign in Shanghai has thus already yielded two medals after compound archer Sahil Jadhav opened the country's account, securing a bronze on Saturday.
India also remained in contention for another podium finish later in the day with recurve archer Simranjeet Kaur set to compete in the semifinals. She is a win away from her maiden individual World Cup medal.
Travelling without a full-time national coach amid the continuing impasse over appointments, it was the vastly experienced Deepika who led from the front, constantly motivating her teammates during breaks and changeovers.
Prafull Dange, who was the designated women's recurve coach after his ward Kumkum topped the national trials, largely remained in the background as Deepika guided the side through the pressure moments against a hostile home crowd and vocal Chinese support staff.
Against a young Chinese side comprising Zhu Jingyi, Huang Yuwei and teenage archer Yu Qi, who all made their World Cup debuts only last year, India looked in control initially but nearly let the match slip after taking the opening set (54-53).
Shooting last in the Indian order, Deepika set the tone with successive 10s as India edged the first set despite Ankita (8-8) and 17-year-old Kumkum (10-8) putting up an inconsistent show.
Deepika continued her fine rhythm in the second set with another perfect 10 as India briefly held a one-point advantage (28-27) midway through the end. But China responded strongly with two 9s and a 10 in their final three arrows of the second set to post 55.
Ankita replied with a 9, but Kumkum managed only an 8, leaving Deepika needing a 10 to level the set.
The four-time Olympian, however, slipped to a 7 as India lost the set 52-55 and China drew level at 2-2.
The hosts then moved ahead in the third set. The teams were initially tied at 56, but a review upgraded China's final arrow from 8 to 9, handing them the set 57-56 and a 4-2 lead.
India appeared on the verge of defeat in the fourth set despite Deepika rediscovering her touch with two 10s. Kumkum's final arrow landed in the 7-ring as India posted a modest 54.
China required two 10s and a 9 from their last three arrows to seal the match.
Zhu and Huang delivered perfect 10s, leaving 18-year-old Yu Qi needing a 9 for victory in front of the home crowd.
But the youngster shot an 8, allowing India a dramatic escape and forcing a shoot-off.
The Indians peaked at the right moment in the decider. Ankita opened with a 9, Kumkum followed with a superb 10, and Deepika calmly delivered a 9 when only an 8 was needed to seal the title.
